April 2006 News Flash
The Magic of Community
- President’s Message from Beth Terry
- April 8 Monthly Meeting
- Our Meeting Sponsor for April
- Living Room Forum in April
- Upcoming NSA-Arizona and NSA Programs
- Vote in NSA-Arizona and NSA Elections!
- Speech Development Lab
- NSA Logo Adds Credibility
- Business-Building Bulletin
- Word Trippers
- Website Wisdom
- Worth Repeating
- About This Newsletter
NSA-Arizona President’s Message from Beth Terry
Sticky Situation: Selling from the Stage
Last month’s comments about freebies generated a lot of feedback. A suggestion was made that we should also tackle another sticky situation: selling from stage.
In the last several months, we have had powerful lessons on this topic. Our board wrestles with this question regarding guest speakers. You may not realize we do not pay our guest speakers. This has been a tradition at NSA—the Cavett Way is for seasoned speakers to support other speakers.
That’s how we raise the bar. Many speakers are happy to come to “the Mother Ship” so we have an easier time finding incredible speakers. I should clarify. We do pay travel expenses for the speakers. And we have this agreement with them—“If you promise not to spend the entire morning selling your wares, we will encourage the members to visit your back table.”
We have been learning as we go. For some speakers, their entire income is derived from sales at the back of the room. For others, product is merely a way for us to “take them home.”
Now, I realize (and concur) that being “sold to” when you come to a meeting can be annoying. I am perhaps not so irritated because I believe these speakers (who normally charge high fees) should have some compensation for flying here, staying in a hotel, sharing their best material, and being away from their families for a weekend to inspire and illumine us.
Now—an interesting lesson. One of our speakers several months ago had us captivated. Even seasoned speakers took copious notes. We were with him. His energy and willingness to share was compelling. We truly enjoyed him. Then he spent the final 10 minutes selling hard. He had PowerPoint, he had specials, he had everything a good sales coach would have told him to provide. And we voted with our feet. He made very few sales.
Our most recent speaker provided equally interesting material. Again, we were captivated. He wove the name of this or that book throughout his presentation. Some he had written; some were from others. He mentioned a few of his courses by name, but it was almost off the cuff. He did a tad bit of selling, but most people didn’t hear it that way (I checked). We were hungry for more. A few people asked him about his courses. At the end, he let the MC do a little promo for him. The result? His table was packed and he had to ship very little product back to his office.
Selling is a skill that takes practice. Some of our members are pros at it. The way they do it, you want to buy and don’t even know why. A clumsy or hard-hitting approach usually backfires. As members of NSA, we agree to the ethical standard that we aren’t on stage to sell product. And realistically, some of our products really should be in the hands of the audience to help them remember the lessons.
Perhaps it is a matter of being gracious, not terribly transparent, and able to read your audience. And, as we experienced, it always helps to get the MC, instead of you, to encourage the audience to visit the table. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this sticky situation.
Thanks for listening!
Beth Terry, NSA-Arizona President 2005-2006
beth@bethterry.com
NSA-Arizona Monthly Meeting April 8, 2006
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon; networking 8:30 a.m.
Candidate Program: 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: NSA Conference Center, 1500 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, AZ
Prepaid registration (by 5 p.m. Wed., April 5): $25/members, $35/guests
At-the-door registration: $35/members, $45/guests
Successful Book Publishing for Speakers with Matt Holt
One of the first things a professional speaker learns is to create product that helps audiences learn even more. A book can be one of the best products to have. If you have been thinking about writing a book but have questions that can be answered by someone who knows, attend the NSA-Arizona meeting in April!
This insider’s presentation on publishing will include:
- pros and cons of publishing
- what to expect from your publisher
- choosing self-publishing vs. traditional publishing
- how to find a publisher
- whether or not you need an agent
- how to put together a dynamite book proposal
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
Our presenter is Matthew Holt, executive editor at John Wiley & Sons. Matt works in the trade division that acquires business and self-help books. His authors have included actor and economist Ben Stein, sports writer Bert Sugar, divorce attorney Raoul Felder, radio talk show host Ronn Owens, New York Times editor Paul Pacult, marketing guru Joe Vitale, and speaker Larry Winget.
VOE: John Coe–Direct Marketing Programs That Work
Learn the four critical success elements to develop and execute a direct marketing program. John reviews these four, then gives insights into how to create direct marketing campaigns that get the responses you want! To support your campaign, he shares a copywriting template that helps you write letters and win the marketing wars. John is president and founder of The Sales & Marketing Institute, a B2B consulting, training and publishing firm.
MC: Susan Chestnut
Candidate Program – How to Write Articles and One-sheets Like a Pro
Want to learn writing techniques that will make putting pen to paper easier and the results more professional? Writer/editor Barbara McNichol shares her trade secrets and gets you to try them out. Barbara writes and edits books, articles, and marketing materials for speakers. She has edited NewsFlash for the past three years.
This program starts promptly at 12:15 p.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m.
SUPPORT OUR MEETING SPONSOR— Fairytale Brownies
Good Taste is Good Business!
Let Fairytale Brownies make it easy for you to send your thanks or appreciation to your important business contacts. Baked with the finest ingredients, assembled with care and customized with your corporate logo or special event art, our Belgian chocolate brownies exhibit good taste and quality. Your logo proudly displayed on our memorable gifts is sure to build sweet customer relations.
When you send gifts throughout the year, prepaying will save you money. With a minimum prepaid order of $500 or more, you’ll receive the same volume discount as on a single order, but we will send the gifts out for you as needed. Be a hit anytime of year with our Classic, Keepsake, Thank You, and Gift Favor Brownie Gifts and featuring your special message and artwork.
Exclusive offer for the National Speakers Association! Fairytale Brownies is pleased to offer members of the National Speakers Association FREE high-quality imprinting on your custom gifts between now and August 31, 2006. This offer has a minimum value of $100.00 savings to you! Simply give me a call at 480/893-1715, (x202) for program details.
We look forward working with you, Aurelia Slavicek
To register for this meeting and save $10, follow these prepayment procedures.
Prepayment Procedures: To streamline check-in at our monthly meetings, please prepay for your meeting attendance. Members and guests save $10 when they prepay by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before the Saturday meeting. Registration at the door (available as space allows) is $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers. No refunds are given after the early registration deadline.
Note from Executive Director Gwen Henson: We’re happy to keep your credit card on file for meeting payments but it’s not an automatic service. Please specifically ask us to do that.
Three ways to register:
1. Online: go to Register
2. By email: send name, company, and number of attendees to Gwen@nsa-arizona.org
3. By telephone: call (480) 968-7443
2006 Living Room Forums
The Living Room Forums provide a great opportunity to interact with members who share interests in a small group setting. This interactive environment for learning strengthens the “magic” within our NSA community.
Our April Living Room Forum focuses on Seminar/Workshop. Join us on Wednesday, April 26, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the home of Elizabeth Harper in Gilbert. A light dinner will be provided.
Cost: $15 members $20 Guests
Registration and payment required in advance. Sign up online at www.nsa-arizona.org or call Gwen at (480) 968-7443. Directions will be provided with your registration confirmation.
Mark your calendar for the last Living Room Forum of this year:
Humorists Wed., May 24, 2006 at the home of June Cline
If you’d like to host a Living Room Forum, become a Group Leader, or join the planning committee, see Kitty Wiemelt or Kathy Marcil at the chapter meeting or contact Kitty at (480) 329-6996 or via email at kitty@kittywiemelt.com
Upcoming NSA-Arizona Programs
May 13 Ed Rigsbee, CSP – Working with Associations
VOE – Andy Erlich
June 10 Pam Lontos – How to Succeed in the Media
VOE – Larry Colbert
Upcoming NSA Programs
May 5-7 Coaching Lab, NSA Headquarters, Tempe, AZ
July 22-25 National Convention, Orlando, Florida
Go to NSA for full details.
**The Magic of Coaching Lab: May 5-7, 2006 **
Join pioneers in the growing field of business coaching as they help us discover how the coach approach can enhance all that we are already doing! Be there for the very first Coaching Lab, May 5-7, 2006 at NSA Headquarters in Tempe, Arizona. We’ll join together to experience The Magic of Coaching: Tools for Accelerating Your Speaking Business! This Lab is sure to be a sell-out! Register now online or call NSA Headquarters at (480) 968-2552 and save $50!
NSA Scholarship Program
NSA has just announced its student scholarship program for the coming year. NSA will also be recognizing two outstanding speech or communication professors. If you know of any student who will be majoring or minoring in speech or related communication fields, or of a deserving professor, send them to this site: http://www.nsaspeaker.org/about/foundation.shtml
New Informal Group to Gather at NSA Convention in Orlando Members of NSA who are “Aviators” (student pilots, pilots, skydivers, parachutists, astronauts) and “Speaking Eagles” (former pilots, speakers on aviation, speakers to mainly aviation groups, airline or former employees) are invited to e-mail their interest in joining an informal meeting at the NSA 2006 Orlando National Convention, July 22-25, 2006. We are planning to have an interesting speaker, the first deaf instrument rated pilot who has been an NSA member. Please email Howard Putnam at: Howarddp@aol.com if you want to be part of this informal group.
Vote for Your NSA-Arizona Board of Directors
Please take a few minutes to cast your vote for your 2006-2007 NSA-Arizona Board of Directors. Please note: Candidate members of our chapter are not eligible to vote until they reach Professional status. See your newsletter for a link to the ballot.
2006-07 NSA Board Elections – Vote by April 30
Upcoming elections for the 2006-2007 National Speakers Association Board of Directors will begin April 1 and run through April 30th. All eligible members (joined before Jan. 1, 2006) will be able to cast their vote via eBallot.
At the request of our members and for confidentiality, the username and password will not be sent out via email. You will need this information to access the ballot, so if you do not already have it, contact NSA Headquarters at (480) 968-2552 before voting through the link provided via e-mail.
Five positions are open. Biographies for each individual on the slate of candidates, as well as other information pertaining to the NSA elections process, can be found on MyNSA.org at MyNSA
NSA-Arizona Speaker Development Lab
Moving from a $750 speaker to a $5,000 speaker is not easy, but this Lab helps those who have that goal move to the next level. The “Lab” is experimenting with one morning meeting and one evening meeting each month. The 2nd Tuesday will be held at NSA headquarters at 8:45 to 11:00; the 4th Tuesday meeting at the Arizona Small Business Association classroom 4130 E. Van Buren Suite 150 at 6:30 p.m. Don Thoren asks, “The ASBA facility is great, but quite costly. Does anyone know of a place we could meet in the evening for approx. $50 per meeting?”
A few Speaker Lab testimonials: Silver Rose: “The feedback and coaching I got was phenomenal and I’m just glad I didn’t have to pay out of my pocket the amount of money it is actually worth. The feedback and coaching I got was phenomenal and I’m just glad I didn’t have to pay out of my pocket the amount of money it is actually worth. The personalities of the attendees at the lab are usually a mixed bag and this one was no exception. There were analytical types, funny people, teachers, business people – heck there was even an ex-cop there! This is invaluable because our audiences are also a mixed bag and I had the opportunity to hear a variety of reactions to my story.”
Steve Meisenheimer: “Thanks to all for helping me organize the content so it flows more smoothly and more logically. And I thank you all, especially, for being so incredibly encouraging.”
Attending the Lab costs only $75 a year (or you can pay by the meeting. Participants can show 5 to 10 minutes from a CD or video tape and get the same quality feedback and enrichment suggestions. Contact Don Thoren, CPAE, at dthoren@cox.net or Eileen Roth at EileenRoth@aol.com
BUSINESS-BUILDING BULLETIN
This bulletin publicizes events of interest to NSA-Arizona members and announces member accomplishments. Send your information to Barbara McNichol editor@barbaramcnichol.com
Special NSA-MPI Research Event April 13
You are invited to observe NSA’s ground-breaking research at the April 13 AZMPI meeting. The National Speakers Association Foundation is partnering with the MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter to conduct research which will help meeting professionals better understand how to hire speakers who will be memorable at their events.
Using state-of-the art technology, they’ll watch five short speaker videos and observe when meeting professions think speakers are at their best. The findings of the research will then be available to any NSA member as well as any meeting professional wanting to hire speakers who will capture—and keep—audiences’ attention. You’ll be able to watch the results of their impressions second by second!
The MPI members will not be looking at the videos to determine if they want to hire the specific speakers. Rather, they will be assessing when they are and are not engaged with the video. The researchers will then track the collective responses and identify what makes a presentation more engaging than others.
Please respond to Cara Tracy at cara@nsaspeaker.org by Friday, April 7 if you will observe this brief and fun research. This will take place immediately following the April 13 AZMPI meeting at the Radisson Fort McDowell from 1:45-3:00 pm. To make sure there’s enough seating, please pre-register. There is no fee to attend only the testing.
Just by observing, you will learn even more about how planners choose speakers who will more likely be a hit at their events. If you’d like to attend the AZMPI lunch meeting before the test, please register at http://azmpi.org/. There is a charge for the meeting.
Please feel free to contact Rebecca Morgan, Chair of NSA’s Foundation Research Committee at (408) 998-7977 with questions.
MPI and NSA appreciate your participation.
Loretta Love Huff on TV Congratulations to Loretta Love Huff who appeared on the AZ Morning show–Fox10 with Rick D’Amico, Tuesday, March 21. She talked about staying motivated as you work toward your goals and her new program “Total Life Makeover: 90 Days to Your Dream Life.”
Speakers Cruising to Ensenda and Catalina May 15-19
Bill Johnson, CSP, has organized a cruise to Mexican Baja and Catalina Island on the fabulous “Paradise” cruise ship. Four nights and three full days of luxury for only $450 a person. Sail out of Long Beach Harbor for Sunset at Sea on Monday evening May 15th. Enjoy a seminar for two hours each morning by three top speakers. Fun and swim during the day and showtime at night (plus casino). Return at sunrise May 19th!
Join speakers Edward Scannell, CSP, CPAE, and Don Thoren, CPAE, plus the outrageous Steve Tyra (and others who refuse to be identified with such fun). They will share leading information on personal growth and success. Bill Johnson offers his program “Speeches Made Fun and Easy.”
Great rate for some great fun! A deposit of $125 holds your space at $449 for inside cabin or $495 for ocean view cabin (per person double occupancy). Contact Bill at Bill@BillJohnson.com or 602-870-3333
Authors and Speakers Roundtable
Authors and Speakers Roundtable, sponsored by Arizona Small Business Association, meets the third Wednesday of each month. All are welcome between 11:30 am to 1 pm. Bring your own lunch if you choose; drinks are provided. Each month features an author who tells about his or her authorship journey and challenges. Great information! 4130 E. Van Buren, Phoenix 602-265-4563. www.asba.com. Monthly meeting is no charge for ASBA members ($125 for annual dues); $20 for guests. This ASBA Roundtable is chaired by Bill Johnson, CSP.
Larry Colbert Speaks at Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon April 26
Administrative Professionals Day (formerly Secretaries Day) has become one of the nation’s largest workplace observances, and is celebrated worldwide. Larry will speak about the importance of keeping a clear eye on your potential, staying focused on a rapidly changing profession, and approaching stressful situations with a sense of humor.
The event will be held at noon at the Mesa Culinary Institute. It’s sponsored by Assistance for Independent Living, a Tempe-based charitable organization that raises money to help senior citizens remain in their own homes as they age. To register, call 480-966-9704.
What business-building events of interest to NSA-Arizona members are coming up? What new books and tapes will you launch soon? Send your announcements to Barbara at editor@barbaramcnichol.com
Word Trippers from the Platform
Find and use the exact word for your writing and your speech, from Barbara McNichol.
Irritate, aggravate – “Irritate” means to annoy; “aggravate” means to make worse. “I aggravated the situation when I irritated the leaders by asking irrelevant questions.”
Intimate, intimidate – “Intimate” (adj., short a) means interconnected or very personal and private. “We have an intimate friendship.” “Intimate” (verb, long a) means to hint at or suggest. “He intimated resigning his job.” “Intimidate” means to threaten. “The bully intimidated everyone in the class.”
Irregardless, regardless – Most references do not consider “irregardless” a word at all, even though it’s often heard in speech. Some include it, but state that “irregardless” is not generally accepted. Always use “regardless,” which means in spite of adverse conditions. “He will go on the trip regardless of the dangers.”
Word Trippers are featured in The Door Opener, an ezine that helps you open doors to your dreams through the written word. Subscribe at http://www.barbaramcnichol.com or send an email to editor@barbaramcnichol.com
Website Wisdom
Keep in mind the “little things” from web diva Kendall SummerHawk that can make your website better.
Tip for April: Where are you sending your website visitors? A lot of home-made sites use links to other websites, which takes their visitors OFF of THEIR site. Your goal is to keep your visitor on your site as long as possible. It’s fine to have reciprocal links, but ask your programmer to make them open in a new window (this is the target=blank command in html) instead of exiting your site.
Worth Repeating
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island … and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.”
- Walter Elias Disney, 1901 - 1966
About This Newsletter Email your News Flash announcements to editor Barbara McNichol at editor@barbaramcnichol.com or call 520-615-7910 by 15th of each month.
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